Lenape Possessive Nouns (family members)

Lenape Possessive Nouns (family members)

How to say "my" family member

In using the Lenape language it is important to understand that, unless you are speaking to that person, all kinship terms must be possessed. In other words, you need to use a pronoun with the term (my, your, his, etc.). You cannot say as in English, “Mother went to town.” You must tell whose mother you are speaking about. Also, the word used when speaking to a person is different from the one used when speaking about that person.

How to Possess Nouns:

• n-                     my

  Examples:

• KAHÈS = MOTHER

• nkahès        my mother       [n- + kahès]

Kwis - Son

• nkwis - my son

• (n + kwis)

Multiple Choice

UHÀM = GRANDMOTHER

Which is the correct way to say "my grandmother"?

• kuhëm- [k- + uhëm]

• uhëma

• [w- + uhëm + -a]

• nuhëm - [n- + uhëm]

Fill in the Blanks

Itis is my friend. How would you write, "my friend"?

Multiple Choice

To make a noun posessive (my), what letter do you add at the beginning of the word?

• k

• n

• t

• x

Multiple Select

Aunt -kahètët (literally: “little mother”)

Which word means "my aunt"?

• nkahètët

• kohètëta

• kahètët

Multiple Select

Grandchild -uxwis (male or female)

Which word means, "my grandchild"?

• uxwisa

• kuxwis

• nuxwis